(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner cartridge for storing a toner used in an image forming apparatus such as copier, printer and the like as well as relating to a toner supply system for supplying the toner stored in the toner cartridge to the toner hopper in the image forming apparatus.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A typical toner supply system in conventional copiers is for supplying the toner from the toner bottle of the toner cartridge to the toner hopper incorporated in the top part of the copier body. This toner hopper is enclosed by a cover attached to the copier body and has a toner entrance port on the top surface thereof with a slidable shutoff lid covering the port. The toner cartridge has a toner supply opening with a slider attached on the toner supply opening. The toner cartridge also has a detachable cartridge cover fitted on the slider so as to close the opening.
In supplying the toner from the toner carriage to the toner hopper, first the cover enclosing the top surface of the toner hopper is opened. Then, while the positioning hole formed on the toner cartridge side is fitted on the positioning pin formed on the top surface of the toner hopper, the slot of the slider is fitted to the projection of the shutoff lid. The toner cartridge is then slid whilst both sides of the slider are being guided along the guide frame arranged on the top of the hopper, so that the opening of the toner cartridge is moved to above the toner entrance port. With this movement, the shutoff lid is set open. In this state, the seal as a sealing element applied enclosing the toner supply opening on the slider's undersurface is pulled off and the top part of the toner cartridge is tapped a number of times so that the toner falls into the toner hopper.
To remove the emptied toner cartridge when the toner supply has been finished, the reverse movement to the above is made and the cover is closed at the end.
The conventional toner supply system permits the operator to readily slide the shutoff lid covering the toner entrance port, manually or with insertion of a tool etc. Therefore, if the shutoff lid is slid without enough caution, dust and dirt and other foreign matter may enter the toner hopper through the toner entrance port. Or there has been a concern that unrecommended toner for other types or toner different in color may be charged erroneously.
Further, in the state where the slider of the toner cartridge has not been guided at all by the guide frame when the toner should be supplied, or when the toner cartridge is left to stand on its own, the seal closing the toner supply opening of the toner cartridge can be peeled off . Therefore, there are risks that the toner content may be used for other types of machines and that the toner may be degraded in quality and characteristics due to exposure to its surrounding for a long period of time after the seal has once been opened, thus possibly causing unexpected deterioration of the image quality and other troubles.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Hei 5 No. 289516 (Patent No. 2802854) discloses a toner supply system which permits toner supply only when the toner cartridge has been guided properly into the guide frame. This toner supply system is configured so that the shutoff lid in the toner entrance port is locked by a locking mechanism, whereby the shutoff lid will not be open unintentionally. This locking mechanism includes an engaging element which is adapted to abut the disengaging piece formed on the bottle slider on the toner cartridge side only when the bottle slider has been correctly guided by the guide frame. The lock is disengaged by rotating the engaging element, to thereby allow the shutoff lid to be opened.
Accordingly, in the above configuration, if a toner cartridge without the disengaging piece is tried to mounted, the locking mechanism will not be disengaged, whereby it is possible to prohibit use of toner cartridges which do not have the disengaging piece. However, since the suitability of the toner cartridge to be used is determined only by the presence of the disengaging piece, it is difficult to provide an active configuration which permits use of one type of toner cartridge having an appropriate toner while prohibiting other types of toner cartridges, in a product lineup of multiple types of machines using diverse kinds of toner, or which permits the use of one toner cartridge having a toner of a correct color while prohibiting toner cartridges of the other colors in a color copier. Or simply, the varieties of the mating combinations between the disengaging piece formed on the toner cartridge side and the engaging element provided on the shutoff lid side are limited. Therefore, if there are many toner types, it is very difficult to identify the toner type at first glance, and also it is difficult to design the pattern of the disengaging piece and engaging element. For such reasons, even if a disengaging piece and engaging element do not match perfectly, use of a toner cartridge might be nevertheless permitted if they have some similarity.